


Something New

by TheIndigoDragonfly



Series: Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blue [2]
Category: A.C.E (Beat Interactive Band)
Genre: Bonus Wowkwan, Epilogue, Explicit Language, Implied/Referenced Cheating, Kai!, Let's find out what happened shall we, Love, M/M, Moderate sex, Photographer Yuchan, Reference to loss/grief, Romance, Secret Ending, Single parent Donghun, Super soft moments, Wedding planner Donghun
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-23
Updated: 2020-12-23
Packaged: 2021-03-11 05:22:05
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,979
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28239900
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheIndigoDragonfly/pseuds/TheIndigoDragonfly
Summary: The final, secret ending to ‘Something Borrowed, Something Blue’.Through meeting Yuchan, wedding planner Donghun’s heart healed. Meeting one another had its ups and downs, but both of them took a step towards moving on from their past trauma.But what happened next, after that meeting in the coffee shop..?
Relationships: Kang Yuchan | Chan/Lee Donghun
Series: Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blue [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2068653
Comments: 20
Kudos: 59





	Something New

**Author's Note:**

> _For D and L, my real-life Donghun and Kai. Without you, there would be no story to tell._  
>    
> **Something Borrowed, Something Blue Recap**  
>    
> Wedding planner Donghun had it all mapped out: living in Oakland with his green-card marriage to best friend Byeongkwan, running his business, and raising his four-year-old son, Kai. That was until he hired a new photographer, who came in the form of sunny, sweet Yuchan. Against all of Donghun’s best efforts, the two fell into a giddy daze together, working weddings together, spending Christmas day with Kai, and slowly getting to know one another.
> 
> But Donghun’s past relationship with Kai’s mother came back to haunt him. Terrified of being hurt again, he pushed Yuchan away, afraid to commit to a relationship. Things grew complicated – first, when Yuchan supported Donghun through Kai’s bout of meningitis. Then, drawn closer again by being together through such trauma, they slept together again – and Yuchan told Donghun he loved him.
> 
> Only when Yuchan revealed his own past trauma – the death of his fiancé Ardash – did Donghun come to his senses and realise that he, too, was in love. He ran to tell Yuchan, only to find he was too late: Yuchan had resigned from Donghun’s wedding business, and had accepted a year’s placement in Japan.
> 
> Over a year later, the boys met once again for coffee. Donghun found closure that day – but with love for Yuchan still glowing in his heart, how was he supposed to move on?

“Little star?”

Donghun pulled on his sneakers, perfecting the rollup at the bottom of his black jeans. He cocked his head, listening out for an answer. When none came, he frowned and got to his feet.

“Little star, where are y-”

He stopped in his son’s bedroom, a smile twitching onto his face. The room was still, toys left frozen in their make-believe scenarios. But his eyes fell on a pair of tiny pink and blue sneakers peeking out from under one curtain.

“I wonder where Kai’s gone?” he mused aloud, pretending to amble around the room in confusion. “Could he be… under the bed?”

A stifled giggle came from the window.

“Could he be…. in the cupboard?” He fought his own smile, walking quietly towards the tell-tale feet. “Or could he be… right where Daddy can get him!”

With a growl, he pounced through the curtains, grabbing Kai and swinging him up into the air. His son’s face split with gleeful shrieks of laughter, his legs kicking to be freed from his captor.

“Put me down, Daddy..!”

Donghun gave him a little shake with a grin, and then obliged, planting Kai back on the ground. These days, his little chunk was more of a big chunk. He wasn’t quite sure how he’d managed to blink and find his little pink new-born had turned six years old – celebrating his sixth birthday a couple of weeks ago had been truly surreal. In six years, Kai had come through his mother walking out, moving countries, and a terrifying bout of meningitis – but none of that mattered now that he was a growing, round-cheeked, happy little boy.

“Come on then, mister.”

Donghun glanced in the rear-view mirror as he drove, heart warming at the sight. Kai watched out the window, a cheerful smile on his face, dark hair flopping down to his eyebrows.

“Where are you going today?”

“Just to a café.” Donghun paused. “I’m going to meet Yuchan. Do you remember him..?”

“Channie!” Donghun’s heart skipped at the way Kai lit up, clapping his hands together. “He used to come to play!” The little boy deflated. “But he moved a long way away.”

“That’s right.”

It had been six months since Yuchan returned from his year in Japan, and eight weeks since Donghun had met him for coffee for the first time since his arrival back in Oakland. So long had past, in fact, that Donghun had written off their meeting as mere closure and assumed he wouldn’t hear from Yuchan again. As he had brushed his teeth one night, his phone had pinged and changed his mind.

_Yuchannie: Hey, sorry being AWOL, turns out trying to get back into freelancing takes up 477462 hours per day. How are you? Want to get another coffee together soon?_

It had taken less than a second for brilliant dizziness to run around Donghun’s entire bloodstream. Of course, he caught himself and gave himself a mental scolding. Just because he had walked out of that café feeling a flood of old love and affection didn’t mean that he could go falling for Yuchan again. Things had changed, and that was okay.

But if he had a chance to have Yuchan back in his life, even as a friend…

Well, that was something he would cherish, no matter what his feelings were.

He dropped Kai off at his best friend’s house, a smile on his face as he scampered away with Bobby, already playing some make-believe game. He could remember the days Kai would hide from anyone and everyone that wasn’t Donghun, but since starting kindergarten, he had started to grow into his own little person.

Donghun tried not to glance in the rear-view mirror to check his hair _too_ many times – he really did. It was still lilac – the colour Kai had chosen for him – and wrapped up in a bun on top of his head. Was it the right balance of neat and messy? Was he puffy today? Did his lips look chapped?

He pulled up in a parking space and hopped out the car, forcing himself to stop fretting over his appearance. He did, however, give himself a lingering once-over as he passed his reflection in a shop window.

They had agreed to meet at the same coffee shop as last time – the one down the alleyway with the fresh bread and the vases of flowers. Donghun glanced around; it was quiet today, with just a couple of other customers sat reading or chatting at tables. He ordered his usual cappuccino and took a seat in the window.

Despite all his best efforts, his heart skipped as Yuchan walked down the path.

The photographer’s hair was swept back, stray strands caught on a late summer breeze. An oversized patterned shirt was tucked into his torn skinny jeans, his black camera bag hung on one shoulder. Donghun’s gaze followed him, and when those deep brown eyes glanced up and met his with a crinkled smile, he just couldn’t _help_ going back there…

_Driving home from weddings worked together. Christmas Day, when he bought Kai presents and played with him until he giggled himself into hiccups. Nights in bed together, the way his hand used to clamp over my mouth… His fingers through my hair…_

“Hey! Sorry, traffic was crazy.”

Donghun smiled with a gentle shake of his head, as much to clear away his own private thoughts as to reassure Yuchan. “I only just got here. Go grab a coffee.”

Yuchan returned with a frappuccino, raking fingers through his hair as he took a seat next to Donghun.

“Sorry it took me so long to message again after we met last time.” Yuchan met his eyes apologetically. “I kept meaning to, but I’ve been working so many jobs I need a time machine.”

“Hey, don’t mention it. It’s summer, I’ve had back-to-back weddings and a kid’s birthday party to organise.”

“A kid’s birthday party?”

“Yeah, Kai’s.” Donghun grinned. “Turns out turning six years old demands a celebration bigger than most weddings I throw.”

Yuchan laughed – and it was a sound that made Donghun’s heart physically tug in his chest. His shoulders relaxed. This was already less awkward than last time. Those fidgeting hands, the nervous voices – they weren’t here this time.

“Do you have any photos of him? I sort of can’t believe he’s six…”

“Yeah.” Donghun blinked in surprise. “Of course.” He pulled out his phone and scrolled through recent photos from Kai’s birthday, and fancy-dress days at school.

And so, they fell into conversation naturally. Donghun stopped worrying about awkward pauses – because there weren’t any. Not this time. He talked about Kai, and his business, and Yuchan talked about getting back into freelancing, and decorating his new place downtown. Their coffee dregs grew cold as they talked, and Donghun grew warm with the feeling of regaining an old friend.

They talked for so long, in fact, that they didn’t notice that they were the last ones in the café, and that the baristas had long since cleaned down every other table and turned off the machines. Donghun looked up and blinked as one of them gave him a meaningful smile.

“Uh… Wow, where’d the afternoon go?”

Yuchan looked around. “Oh.” His cheeks went a little pink; he still hadn’t lost that habit. “And I really wanted to hear the full story about that Spanish wedding.” He looked back at Donghun. “You don’t… wanna go grab some food, do you?”

“Dinner?” Donghun said dumbly. He caught himself quickly. “I mean, yeah. Let’s do it.”

Yuchan gave one of his easy smiles, standing up and shouldering his camera bag. Donghun hesitated, heart beating a little too fast, and then followed him from the café.

~

“Wait, so you went to dinner with him?”

Donghun felt his cheeks go warm as Sehyoon and Byeongkwan’s eyebrows shot upwards.

“Yeah. Just because we weren’t done talking. It was just a… y’know, spur of the moment thing.”

“Right. Because two hours in a café apparently isn’t enough talking.”

There was a gentle rain pattering on the window of Byeongkwan’s apartment. His best friend and sham-husband had invited Donghun over for lunch with himself and his boyfriend, and they sat around drinking coffee as the afternoon wore on. Kai was lay on his belly on the floor between them, tongue between teeth as he made use of every rainbow crayon he’d been given.

Donghun became aware of the faint difference in his friends’ expressions. Sehyoon’s lips twitched with a faint smile, one of those oh-so-knowing looks that Donghun had grown used to over the last year. But Byeongkwan’s eyebrows knitted into a small frown, his eyes troubled.

“So did anything happen?” Sehyoon probed gently.

“At dinner? No! No, nothing happened.”

Donghun thought back to meeting up with Yuchan two weeks ago. Just like in the café, they had found an endless stream of things to talk about and stories to catch up on after moving on to the little Italian restaurant around the corner. Neither had been drinking, and it had been nice to just catch up properly… albeit for the butterflies that had given him gentle nudges all evening.

“Right, so you met for coffee that became dinner… What then?” Byeongkwan folded his arms and sat back against the sofa. “Your texts were elusive, Lee. Last time you were like that about Yuchan, you’d been ‘cuddling’ in the gardens at some Greek wedding with him.”

Donghun blinked, and then Yuchan’s meaning caught up with him. He scowled as Byeongkwan smirked.

“It’s not that. But it _is_ wedding-related.” He sighed, watching Kai doodle. “Last weekend I had a Saturday wedding. My photographer called in the morning of the big day to say he’d come down sick. My backup photographer’s away in Europe… so I called Yuchan.” Donghun smiled faintly. “He dropped everything and came to fill in for me. I owe him big time.”

“Lucky he was around to save the day.” Sehyoon took a sip of his americano. “Was it weird, working together again?”

Donghun shook his head. “I guess a little, but it was fine. Fun, even.”

Fun. That was only the half of it. When Yuchan was all dressed up, hair neatly pushed back, laughing with wedding guests from behind a camera… That had _always_ been Donghun’s weakness. He’d tried not to stop and watch, but it had proved impossible – those damn twinges in his chest had tugged again, and again, and again.

“So.” Byeongkwan met his eyes. “What is this, then?”

“It’s nothing,” Donghun replied quickly – and he meant it. “Really. We’ve been for coffee twice, and worked one wedding. I think I’ve got him back as a friend, of sorts, which is actually really nice.” _Considering the way things went –_ he wanted to add, but chose to leave it off.

“Hmm.” They both looked at Sehyoon, who was watching with an unreadable expression – wasn’t he always? Donghun could never get a read on this guy. “I think there might be more to it than that… from Yuchan’s side.”

Donghun’s heart skipped a full beat, but he smoothed his facial expression to mask it. “What do you mean?”

Sehyoon spread his hands. “You were never friends before you saw each other. You’d barely met and you started sleeping together and seeing each other romantically. So it’s not like you’re salvaging a friendship of many years. He moved away for a whole year – that was longer than you’d spent around each other… And when he moved, things had been really messy between you both. What would his motivation be for getting in touch to have coffee… unless he still had feelings for you that he wanted to explore?”

A questioning silence fell on the room.

“I disagree.” Byeongkwan spoke slowly, looking at his boyfriend with narrowed eyes. “I think it _is_ just a friendship thing. You both got on well, you had something short but super intense… And now the hurt feelings are behind you, maybe he just thinks there _is_ a friendship worth salvaging there.” He shrugged. “I’ve had flings that have turned into friendships. I mean, one of my best friends is someone I just hooked up with at first.”

Donghun looked between them, feeling starkly like he had an angel and a devil sat on his shoulders.

“But the thing is…” Byeongkwan continued. “I don’t think the issue here is what Yuchan’s intentions are. I want to know what _you’re_ feeling.”

Donghun thought about lying. He thought about breezing through it, non-committal and casual. And then he got the voice of his therapist niggling away in his ear, about acknowledging his feelings and accepting them instead of getting stuck in denial and _blah blah blah…_

“I’m still crazy about him.” These days, the truth came a lot easier, but Donghun’s neck still went warm. He held out a hand for the drawing Kai scrabbled up to show him, stroking his little boy’s hair and smiling at those big brown eyes. “I used to wonder if I felt so bad when he left for Japan just because he was the first person I saw after Hyunmi. But it’s not… I can’t help it.” He sighed, Kai looking up at him quizzically. “I have feelings for Yuchan.”

“Hey. I get it.” Byeongkwan’s face grew sympathetic. “What are you going to do?”

“Nothing.” Donghun shrugged as Kai went back to draw another picture. “I had a chance and I blew it, and if what I can get from that is some personal growth and a friend… I’ll take that.” A faint smile twitched at his lips. “Doesn’t mean I can’t still admire him if he ever works weddings for me again.”

~

“Daddy?”

“Mm?”

“Can I have purple hair like you?”

Donghun looked up from his book where he was lay, legs kicked over the side of the armchair. He smiled as Kai scrambled up to sit with him.

“Maybe one day! Are you going to get Daddy to put it in a little bun for you like mine?” He scooped up Kai’s thick black hair and held it in a sprout on top of his head, making him giggle. Chuckling, he went back to his book, aware that Kai was still watching him.

“Daddy?”

God, it was one of those days.

“Yes, little star?”

“Can we… play Pokémon Go today?” Donghun looked down at him, his son’s eyes wide and pleading. With a flop he lay against Donghun’s chest, looking up at him with his cutest face. Donghun swore he’d somehow learned how to be adorable to get what he wanted. And it worked like a damn charm.

“Yeah. We can go out this afternoon.” He tilted his head. “Only if you help Daddy find a Meowth.”

“Uh-huh! I want a… a… Alk… Akuh… Akuzawam!”

“Alakazam? Yeah, we can go and look for one. If you give Daddy a kiss.” Donghun pursed his lips and Kai planted a kiss on them before sliding to the floor, excited to go and catch Pokémon. Donghun snorted softly.

He had just reopened his book and found where he was on the page when the doorbell rang. He groaned and let his head tilt back. More fool him for thinking he would ever catch half an hour of peace to read a novel.

He tucked his t-shirt into the front of his jeans as he walked over to the front door.

“Hey!”

Donghun blinked, both at the bright sun and Yuchan’s smile.

“Oh, h-hey!”

God, he _never_ stuttered.

“Sorry to come over unannounced. I have the wedding album to drop off and I was driving this way anyway.” He smiled again and held up a pretty, engraved box.

“Oh! Wow, that was fast.” Donghun cleared his throat quickly. “Thanks, Yuchan. And thanks again for the other day. You really saved my ass.”

“No problem, it was really fun.” Yuchan laughed. “I’m not sure whether I’ll get back into wedding photography again but for old time’s sake… it was great.”

Yuchan’s eyes slid from Donghun’s and down lower. For a second, a fierce blush threatened to choke Donghun, but little hands clinging to his shirt gave him an answer of what had got Yuchan’s attention.

“No way…” Yuchan breathed, his face filling with affection. “This can’t be the same little man…”

“Channie..?” Kai peeked out from behind Donghun.

“You remember me?”

“Channie!” Kai darted out the front door before Donghun could stop him, flinging his arms around Yuchan’s middle with an enormous smile. Yuchan let out a breath of laughter, his hand going to Kai’s hair.

“Kai! You grew so tall!” He glanced at Donghun and then crouched down to get on Kai’s level. “You’re six, aren’t you?”

Kai nodded, his bangs bouncing. “It was my birthday so I’m six now.”

“Well, happy birthday for then!” Yuchan stood up, a doting smile still on his face. Donghun’s stomach twinged at the reminder of the way the two of them used to be together. “I don’t want to trouble you too long, and I better head off before I’m late.”

“Yeah, of course. Thank you so much for dropping the photos round.”

“No problem.”

For a moment, Yuchan hesitated, and Donghun did too, and there was the faintest crackle of something unspoken.

“Daddy?” Kai tugged on Donghun’s hand and he looked down. Kai bit his lip, looking unsure, and then looked up at Yuchan. “My daddy has something for you.” Yuchan looked blank, and Donghun grew puzzled as Kai looked back at him. “The… Um… The thing you said.”

“What are you talking about, little star?”

“Last week you told Uncle Kwannie you had feelings for Yuchan. Don’t you want to give them to him?”

There was a beat of silence as Donghun stared at Kai.

And then his words sunk in.

His entire body turned hot.

“Kai!” he gasped, horrified. His eyes shot to Yuchan, whose face had turned bright pink, his expression just as dumbfounded. “I didn’t… He doesn’t…”

“No… It’s… I…”

“I should go.” Donghun took Kai’s hand, cringing apologetically.

“Yeah, I… I, um, I need to go too, but um-”

“I’ll text you or… Yeah…”

“Yeah…”

They stared at each other a moment longer, then both turned on their heels and walked away.

The front door shut behind Donghun with a snap, and he leaned against it with a weak groan.

“Oh my god,” he whimpered, his face still on fire. His heart was pounding ferociously. “Oh god, oh god, oh god…” He trailed across to the sofa and unceremoniously fell face-down.

_Last week you told Uncle Kwannie you had feelings for Yuchan. Don’t you want to give them to him?_

There went his delicate friendship. All his playing cool, all his sensible thinking – _poof_. Up in smoke. He groaned again.

“Daddy..?” He turned his head to find Kai stood nearby, watching him with his hands pulled inside his sleeves. The little boy’s bottom lip wobbled. “Did I do a bad thing?”

“No!” Donghun sat up quickly, holding out his hands to pull Kai into a cuddle. “No, baby, of course not.” He lifted Kai to sit in his lap and his eyes softened at the look of worry on his son’s face. “You were trying to be helpful for Daddy, weren’t you?”

Kai nodded quietly and Donghun pressed a kiss into his forehead.

“Thank you.” He sighed, brushing back Kai’s hair and making a decision. “It’s just that feelings aren’t a thing you give to someone. If you say you have feelings for someone, it means you love them. You have feelings of love. Does that make sense?”

Kai nodded slowly. “So… so… do you love Yuchan?” He looked up, his face filled with innocent questioning.

“Yes.”

“Are you…” Kai played with his sleeves. “Are you boyfriends with Yuchan?”

Donghun stroked his hair softly. “It’s a little bit complicated,” he explained gently. “We used to be boyfriends but Yuchan had to move a long way away.”

His heart panged from using the word _boyfriends._ In actual fact, they had never been – no matter how much Yuchan had wanted it. The prison walls Donghun had built around himself had seen to that. But it would be a long time until Kai was ready to understand those kind of nuances.

“Will you be boyfriends again now he’s home?” Kai’s face looked a touch hopeful, and it made Donghun’s heart bleed.

“I don’t think so.” He smiled. “Grown-ups both need to love each other to be boyfriends or girlfriends. It can’t just be from one of the people. And I don’t know if Yuchan loves me too.” _He doesn’t, but I can’t quite bring myself to say that out loud, even to Kai._

“ _I_ love you, Daddy.”

Donghun’s heart nearly burst, the last of his embarrassment fading away. “And I love you to the moon and back, little star.”

~

For a full five days, Donghun woke up in the morning and immediately cringed hard at the memory of Kai blurting out about his feelings. He wasn’t angry – Kai didn’t know better, and it served him right for talking about his relationships in front of him, anyway. And in a way, perhaps it was for the best. If he and Yuchan had continued hanging out together, surely it would have become dishonest from Donghun’s point of view? To hide his real feelings? At least now it was out there, and that was that.

Still, it was mortifying as fuck.

He had a day free from client meetings and he was working in the little workspace he liked most, tucked in a corner with his laptop and coffee. As he typed away at an email to a supplier, his phone pinged.

_Yuchannie: Hey. Can we meet up? Wanna grab a takeout coffee and go for a walk? Could meet you at that place on the edge of Joaquin?_

Donghun read the message through the preview, clicked his phone back to locked, and sat back with a slow exhale.

He supposed he had no choice. Better get this over and done with.

He scheduled to meet Yuchan on Sunday – his only free day of the week. Byeongkwan came over to look after Kai, and he drove over to the edge of the city.

The park was one of his favourite places near home. When he had first moved out here, he used to bring Kai here in his pushchair for walks, and as he had grown, they had come here for picnics, and to play together in the woods. The hill rose up, adorned with lush redwood trees, until the view over Oakland and its blue skies was something quite close to breath-taking.

“Donghun!”

He snapped out of his memories, raising a hand to return Yuchan’s wave. He approached hands-in-pockets, and Yuchan smiled and held out a coffee.

“Sweet and black, right?” Yuchan asked as he handed it over, and Donghun nodded, surprised.

“Uh, yeah. Thanks.” He attempted to fight the inner awkwardness that threatened to take over. He’d tried not to dwell on whether or not Yuchan would address what happened, and how – he just knew that if Yuchan started to bring it up, he’d apologise and make some excuses, and try and get it brushed away.

“Shall we?” he said, as they fell into step towards the park.

As they walked, Yuchan began to ask about the previous day’s wedding, and give Donghun updates on the puppy his close friend Junhee was trying to adopt. The name rang a bell, and Donghun thought back to Yuchan’s old housemate. He had _not_ been Donghun’s biggest fan… Not since Donghun had made Yuchan cry more than once.

The more they walked, the more Donghun felt a niggling sense of discomfort. Should he be waiting for Yuchan to clear the air? After all, it had been _his_ feelings Kai had blurted out about, and Yuchan had been the one to pick up the phone and message him after the awkwardness.

Donghun took a deep breath as their conversation hit a natural lull.

“Channie…” He hesitated, and then pressed on. “I just wanted to say that… that I’m sorry for what happened with Kai. I’m really sorry if it made you feel uncomfortable or anything.”

He expected Yuchan to look away, or to look awkward – he didn’t expect the smirk he was shot sidelong.

“You don’t know, do you?” Yuchan said.

“…Know what?”

“That he called me.”

“Who called you?”

“Kai.”

Donghun stopped dead in his tracks.

“What?” he burst out, staring at Yuchan with unabashed incredulity. Yuchan turned, amusement dashed across his face.

“I got a call from you the other day,” Yuchan said slowly. “Or, I thought it was you – it was your number. Only when I answered, I just got a little voice asking if Channie was there.”

“He did _what_?!”

Donghun was rooted to the spot.

Yuchan shook his head with a smile, looking out over the Oakland skyline as the wind danced through his hair. “I asked him if he was okay and where you were, and he said that Daddy was in the shower.” Yuchan paused. “He… He told me that his Daddy wants to be boyfriends with me and… that he wanted me to say yes.”

Donghun, in all his life, had never been physically speechless.

He couldn’t find a single word to say. Instead, his face turned a burning scarlet.

“Yuchan, I am _so_ sorry,” he begged once he rediscovered his tongue. “I… I had no _idea_ , I must have left my phone out when I was cleaning up, I… I…” He floundered helplessly. “I taught him how to unlock my phone and dial 911, or call Byeongkwan in an emergency but I… I had no idea he’d try and call anyone else, I… I’m so sorry!”

But in the place of annoyance, or anger, came a quiet chuckle.

“It’s okay, Donghun.” Yuchan shook his head. “I’m not asking you to apologise. I found the whole thing pretty funny, to be honest.”

“You did?” Donghun’s face still blazed hot.

“Yeah.” Yuchan met his eyes with a smile. “He was trying to do what he thought would make his dad happy. How could I be mad at that?”

“Right…” Donghun said weakly. Were they going to be able to laugh at this? Brush past it and go back to being friends?

“But… I kind of wanted to know.” The smile of amusement faded from Yuchan’s face, and he looked down. He paused for a long moment. “Did you… did you really say those things to Kai?”

Donghun swallowed.

He wasn’t in the habit of lying, nor hiding his feelings. Not anymore. After the shock of falling for Yuchan only to lose him through his own inability to commit, Donghun had taken Byeongkwan’s gentle recommendation to go and see his own long-term therapist. Despite his dubiousness, his weekly sessions with Dr Weeks had helped him work through his own trauma, and understand why he acted the way he did. And realise that to move on with his life, he had to become more honest – with those around him, and with himself.

“Yeah,” he said simply, letting his barriers down. “I did.” He shrugged gently, even though his insides were churning. “I know the guy you knew before wasn’t really the sort to lay it all out there whether it was easy or not but… Well, my therapist has beaten it into me this year.” Yuchan looked up at him in surprise. “So, I guess this is the part where I’m crystal clear with you… Yeah, I said those things to Kai. I still care about you… I never stopped caring about you. And when we started meeting up again… I couldn’t help it. The way I felt, it just… hadn’t changed.”

Yuchan nodded slowly, his expression unreadable.

“And if it were up to me… I’d… I’d want to try and… be with you again. A real relationship and everything that comes with that. But I completely understand that you don’t feel that way, and that’s okay too. But if we’re going to be friends then I… I should be honest with you.”

Yuchan’s eyes were oddly soft, as though he was wrestling with some inner emotion. “You’ve really come a long way, haven’t you?”

“Yeah. I think I have.” Donghun gave a lopsided smile. “Everything that happened before was so messy… because I had so much unresolved shit I was latching onto. Even though I didn’t feel like it at the time, when you left, I sort of figured that everything happens for a reason. And the reason I met you was to… I don’t know, be my catalyst to change?” He looked away. “I realised I needed to let go of the past, I got a therapist, and I got more time to be _me_ again with Kai in school.” He smiled. “So yeah. I hope I’ve come at least a little bit of a way. I’m trying.”

“Do you love me?”

Donghun’s eyes shot up, and he was shocked into silence. Yuchan’s face was completely neutral, his eyes filled with his question. Donghun’s heart thudded. For a split second, he was back there.

Back in a hotel room. Back underneath him, Yuchan’s lips brushing his.

_Do you love me?_

_Yes._

Only this time, he was the one who had to answer.

“Yes.” He swallowed, a breeze casting stray strands of hair around his face. “Yeah, I still do.”

Yuchan nodded faintly.

“Because I still love you, too.”

Donghun just stared at him.

And stared.

And stared.

“You _what?_ ”

“What?” Yuchan’s eyes grew round.

“You..?”

“Love you? Yeah…”

“You-?”

“ _Yes_.” Yuchan laughed breathlessly, searching Donghun’s face. “Yeah. I do. It… It never went away for me, either. I never stopped thinking about you.”

It felt like cogs were working overtime to process this moment in Donghun’s head and heart. He had never once, not _once_ , imagined Yuchan standing here, saying this. But there he was, watching for Donghun’s reaction, not running away from Donghun’s confession, or laughing it off, or brushing it away… _Returning_ it.

“Yuchan..?” Donghun heard the wobble in his own voice. “Can I kiss you?”

Yuchan stepped closer. “You’d fucking better do.”

The first time he’d kissed Yuchan, it had come out of the blue – when Yuchan kissed him one night in his own front room, completely unexpected. It had left his brain empty – all he had been able to think about were the lips against his own.

This was just the same.

This time it was familiar – all familiar sensations: soft, warm lips that slotted against him, the same gentle hand slipping under his jaw to tilt his face up… But it left his head just as empty. In a thousand lifetimes, he would never have expected to get this lucky. He never expected to get a second chance.

All at once, it caught up with him, and a noise escaped his lips as he dragged Yuchan closer.

Their kiss was broken apart as they paused to breathe. Neither let the other one draw away.

“I love you so much,” Donghun breathed. “Fuck, the second I walked back into that café and saw you again I wanted you, I wanted to kiss you, but I thought… I thought I’d lost my only chance with you, I… I…” Tears welled instantly in his eyes and Yuchan shushed him gently, but his own eyes shone suspiciously bright.

“Me too.” He kissed Donghun’s nose softly. “I think my heart stopped when you messaged me back after my first text asking if you wanted to meet up. I thought after a year you’d have met someone else… Or forgotten about me.”

“How could I forget about you?” Donghun pulled him in tighter, searching his face. “I thought about you every single day.”

Yuchan smiled, and leaned back in to kiss him again.

This time, their kiss wound deeper, and Donghun took a sharp breath in through his nose as Yuchan’s tongue pressed against his lips. He parted his mouth for him, his fingers digging into Yuchan’s t-shirt. This was happening. This was really happening…

“Mh, Yuchan, I-” Donghun pulled back, his eyes fixating on Yuchan’s wet lips. He forced his spinning mind to work. “Yuchan, this is it properly, right? Not like last time. A relationship? I can call you my boyfriend?”

Yuchan pressed a kiss against the corner of his lips through laughter. “I never thought I’d hear you begging me for commitment.” He grinned, his eyes twinkling with his teasing, but his face flushed with the same love and happiness Donghun felt spilling from his own heart. “Yes. I’ll be your boyfriend. Now come here.”

He reached around Donghun and picked him up, and Donghun’s legs instantly latched around Yuchan’s hips as he held him up – just the way he always used to. Donghun couldn’t help it; as Yuchan kissed him breathless, tears trickled from the corners of his eyes, but they only made Yuchan hold him all the tighter.

~

Donghun’s hands were shaking as he wrenched up the handbrake. He practically stumbled out of his car, running over to the blue hatchback in front.

Yuchan pinned him against his car, kissing him hard.

Donghun’s entire body went tense and his hands slid around Yuchan’s hips.

At the park, they had linked hands, grinning like a pair of schoolboys, and continued their walk through the trees. But every few minutes, one had pulled the other closer to press kisses on them, and their joined hands had become arms slinked around each other’s backs. And they had talked, happily, until reaching the car park, where suddenly it had become quite hard to let the other drive away.

They had torn away from one another just long enough to drive back to Yuchan’s new place.

“Inside…” Donghun managed around kisses, grabbing Yuchan and dragging him around the car and tripping towards the house. But it was his turn to come over desperate, and he grabbed Yuchan and staggered with him back against the front door, tongue finding his messily as Yuchan tugged open the first three buttons on Donghun’s shirt.

“Oh fuck, I missed you,” Yuchan breathed, his mouth hot and frantic against Donghun’s neck even as he scrambled for his keys. He struggled with the lock and shoved open the door, dragging Donghun through it and undoing the last of the buttons on his shirt in one movement.

“I missed you too, I- _ah!”_ Donghun’s back arched as Yuchan’s hand slid down his back and squeezed his ass hard. “I’ve missed you, I’ve missed this…”

Distantly, he was aware that Yuchan’s new place was very nice. Vaguely aware that he’d praise him later for having his own house in his twenties. But not now. Now he needed him. _Now._

Yuchan’s pushed his shirt from his shoulders, leaving it to fall and pool on the floor. Donghun moaned with pleasure as Yuchan led them, through their kiss, into the living room. He fought to tug Yuchan out of his t-shirt, eyes drinking in the sight of his bare chest and belly, and went immediately for his belt. But Yuchan’s hands worked faster, and Donghun’s body froze as Yuchan’s fingers pressed against the swell at the front of his own jeans.

“Channie..?” he managed, as Yuchan sucked at his neck and palmed his jeans. “Channie, I… I haven’t slept with anyone since you.”

Yuchan pulled back, realisation flaring in his eyes. Donghun smiled, embarrassed. He didn’t need to say it. _I won’t last long._

Yuchan stroked Donghun’s cheek, biting his lip. “I, um… I’m sorry…”

“Don’t!” Donghun pulled him tight, hairs standing up on his neck as their chests met. “Don’t say sorry. Of course you did. You were single, you’re gorgeous, and there’s all those hot Japanese boys…” They both grinned and Yuchan touched his nose with his own. _Thank you for understanding._ “You clean?”

“Yeah,” Yuchan nodded. “Want to see my test results?”

He reached for his phone in his pocket but Donghun shook his head. “I trust you.”

Instead, he pushed Yuchan down onto the sofa, and slipped down onto his knees between Yuchan’s legs. Yuchan’s lips parted, his eyes drugged up with lust. Donghun worked open his belt, and, taking him from his jeans, slipped his mouth around him without waiting another second.

“Ah… Donghun…” Yuchan’s fingers stroked across his hair, and then with a gentle tug, pulled the band and let his hair fall loose around his face, just the way he always used to. Donghun looked up through his lashes and met his eyes. This was so _right_. All those tiny ways to make Yuchan gasp, ways to make him feel wanted and _loved_ , he still knew them all. And he became piercingly convinced that he was the only one who would ever know.

“I wanna touch you…” Yuchan groaned, but Donghun shook his head around his mouthful, making him grin. “Ugh, you’re mean.”

Donghun arched a playful eyebrow.

But soon the desperate desire for more became too much. Yuchan pulled Donghun’s face up, wrenching him into his lap and kissing him deep.

“Bed.” He spoke it with such singular command, a shudder went down Donghun’s back. He nodded.

They stumbled through to Yuchan’s room, both falling on top of the covers together. At the mercy of Yuchan’s firm hands, Donghun was pressed down on his back and had his jeans yanked off – _fuck_ , he’d forgotten how it felt when Yuchan took charge. He looked up at him, trembling and desperate, as Yuchan scrabbled through a drawer beside his bed for a packet and a bottle.

The noise that escaped Donghun died in his throat as Yuchan’s fingers pressed into him. He let his eyes close, mouth open in silent whines. His fingers scratched at the bedding as he let his knees fall open wider.

He only opened his eyes to watch Yuchan tear into a condom wrapper with his teeth.

“Hey…” Donghun murmured as Yuchan leaned over him, meeting his eyes. He reached up to cup his face. “I love you.”

“I love you too,” Yuchan smiled, and let their lips meet as he pushed inside.

Donghun gripped his hips, letting out a moan. Another followed as Yuchan found a slow rhythm, each roll of his hips sending floods of pleasure through Donghun’s body.

“Ah, Yuchan, I’ve missed your-” he gasped, catching himself and groaning as Yuchan found his sweet spot.

“You’ve missed my..?” Yuchan said, his eyes glittering with a smirk.

Donghun scowled. “You. I’ve missed you.”

Yuchan laughed quietly, leaning over Donghun and kissing his ear. “Aw, is baby boy too shy to talk dirty?” he murmured, and that damned old pet name made Donghun jerk as pleasure threatened to overwhelm him.

“I… I…” he tried, but it was stolen by a whimper as Yuchan wrapped his hand around his length in time with his thrusts.

Yuchan smiled, and locked their lips together, until moans were escaping both of them.

This was right. Here with _him_ , gorgeous, talented, kind Yuchan, feeling his bare skin, hearing his voice, baring his soul…

This was where he was meant to be. This was _right_.

**_Two years later_ **

Donghun put his hands on his hips, assessing the room around him with a shrewd eye. Years as a wedding planner had really honed his attention to detail.

But this wasn’t a wedding venue, not this time. Today, he wasn’t planning a beautiful day for someone else, nor organising someone else’s milestone event. This time, he was putting finishing checks to something smaller, and quieter. He smiled, finally happy with the way things looked.

It wasn’t a big house. Tucked near his favourite park in Oakland, the home was built in that classic American style and filled with light, bright rooms that let sunlight flood in through open windows. A few weeks ago it had stood empty of life, but now each room was furnished and meticulously decorated, sat in wait for new inhabitants to call it home.

Donghun tucked his hands into his pockets, unable to bite back his grin.

Outside, Oakland held a sense of excitement – it was Christmas Eve, after all. Children were excited for Santa’s arrival, parents were cooking up a storm, couples were exchanging gifts and wrapping up under blankets. But Donghun – for all his newfound love of Christmas – was excited for it to be over.

Because next week, he was moving into this house. It would finally be their home: him, Kai, and Yuchan.

At last.

Two and a half years with Yuchan, and they would finally be living together. He smiled as he ran his fingers along the plush armchair in their new reading nook. Well, two and a half years plus the six months or so of whatever their first attempt was – when Donghun had managed to fuck it all up. So more like three, in total. They’d needed to take their time; after all, Donghun had Kai, so moving in together was a monumental step, and not one to be taken lightly.

But there wasn’t a trace of doubt in his heart.

He walked through to the kitchen to turn off the light before heading off. His eyes lingered on the photos hung in a frame on one wall: of Kai, growing up so fast throughout the years, of Yuchan and his family, of Donghun with Byeongkwan and Sehyoon.

He smiled, running his fingers along one picture. A photo of Yuchan and Ardash, the fiancé he had lost in that heart-breaking accident. Both young boys had a huge smile on their face, eyes filled with love. Donghun felt a pang of sadness. Over the last couple of years, Yuchan had opened up to him about his late fiancé – at first, talking about the pain of losing him, but also growing to just talk about him, tell Donghun old stories, and old jokes they used to share. Because it was important – important to keep his memory alive, and important for Donghun to know this treasured part of Yuchan’s life.

The pain of loss would never truly fade, of course. He had been with Yuchan on the anniversaries of the accident, the day they would visit Ardash’s grave and lay flowers and sit for a while. Those days brought back the pain, raw and sad. The loss might not go away, but Donghun could be there for Yuchan when he needed him, and hold his hand through those difficult days.

And Yuchan was there for Donghun too. Time healed even the deepest of scars, but they were still there – and he still got nightmares about Hyunmi and his family abandoning him. Nights when he would dream of being alone, with baby Kai, with no one around to help him. And on those nights Yuchan was there, stroking his hair, and soothing him gently, and telling him he would never be alone again.

Donghun turned out the light and headed out into the evening, keen to get home to his boys.

He smiled as he walked into his front room. Kai and Yuchan were both sat on the floor, engaged in a game of Shark Bite – both squealing over the threat of the mechanical shark biting down on their fingers as they stole plastic fish from its mouth. Donghun shrugged off his jacket just as Yuchan got his fingers chomped – leaving him yelping and Kai laughing with victory.

“Yuchan, you’re going to have no fingers left if you don’t get better at that game.” He grinned, walking over to kiss Yuchan on top of the head. “Little star’s too good at this.”

“You and Yuchan are just bad at it,” Kai replied with a wicked grin, making Donghun raise an amused eyebrow. Eight years old, and somehow he’d already inherited Donghun’s sassy tongue.

“Oh yeah? Well watch out… Because this shark will get you!”

He pounced on Kai, knocking him gently to the floor and pretending to bite his shoulder. Kai giggled, flailing to be freed.

They played games for a couple of hours until it was Kai’s bedtime. He was bristling with excitement for Christmas Day – just like he always was. Donghun helped him hang his stocking at the end of the bed, and went to clean up dishes as Yuchan got into bed with Kai to read him the next chapter of Harry Potter.

Once all the cleaning up was done, Donghun went with a yawn to pull on his own pyjamas. Once he was changed, he lingered outside Kai’s bedroom door, leaning his head on the frame as he listened.

“…And that’s the end of the chapter, little star. You ready to get some sleep so Santa can come and bring your presents?”

“Yeah!”

“Good boy.” There was a faint rustling. “Goodnight, have sweet dreams. I love you.”

“Night-night. I love you, Daddy.”

Donghun froze.

Heart skipping, he peered through the crack in the door.

Kai looked up at Yuchan, his face turning pink. Yuchan looked down at him with his mouth open in surprise. Donghun quickly pushed open the door.

“Hi, my two favourites,” he soothed in a light voice. Yuchan’s flustered eyes met his with gratitude. _It’s okay,_ he shot back in a look. _I’ll take over on this one_.

Kai turned his face away as Donghun sat on the bed next to them, embarrassed.

“Little star…” Donghun stroked back his hair, then pulled him from the covers and sat him in his lap. Kai looked up at him, biting his lip. His downturned eyes had filled with that old shyness he used to have as a toddler. “It’s okay, baby. You don’t need to be embarrassed.”

“Of course not.” Yuchan reached out to stroke Kai’s back.

Donghun took a deep breath.

“Kai, you know Daddy and Yuchan love each other very much. And we both love you so, _so_ much. To the moon and back.” Donghun stroked his cheek. “We’re a family. So… would you like to call Yuchan ‘dad’ too?”

Kai looked up at him. And then he nodded shyly.

“Okay, little star.” Donghun kissed his son’s forehead gently. “Well, it’s time to sleep so Santa can come!”

Kai broke into a smile, his cheeks happy and pink. Donghun tucked him back into bed, and nodding to Yuchan, turned out his light.

He closed the door quietly as they left.

“Channie..?” he whispered, as Yuchan walked away from him. He watched, heart filled with love, as Yuchan’s shoulders began to shake. “Are you okay?”

Yuchan looked round at him, face wet. Through his tears, he broke into a wobbly smile. “I just never thought he would call me ‘daddy’.” He choked on a sob. “You know how much that means to me.”

Donghun smiled, fizzing over with love, and took Yuchan in a cuddle. “I know.” He stroked Yuchan’s hair as he leaned on his shoulder to cry. “Hm, I guess I should stop calling you that too now, huh?” He grinned as Yuchan snorted and slapped him on the back for being crude. “Come on, let’s pour a milk and put a mince pie out for Santa Claus.”

Yuchan followed him to the kitchen, gently curling his fingers around Donghun’s.

“I’m so happy, you know?” Donghun turned to face Yuchan as he spoke, smiling at the kiss pressed into his cheek. “I love Kai so much. And I can’t wait to move into our place next week.”

“Me too, sweetheart.” Donghun wrapped his arms around his waist. A little lump formed in his throat. All those years ago, he had lost his birth family, and lost the family unit he had thought he would spend the rest of his life with. But now he was here: with a family of his own, and it was only set to grow.

He leaned his head against Yuchan’s.

“Do you love me?” he asked.

“Always.”

**Author's Note:**

> And you all thought I wouldn't give you a happy ending...
> 
> I hope you enjoyed this little seasonal gift! 
> 
> Happy holidays to every one of you who has taken the time to read my fics this year. Writing stories for you and getting to know some of you has been a true highlight of my year. It's been a difficult year for so many people, but stories are one of the things that draw us together as humans, even in the darkest of times - and it's years like this that we losing ourselves in stories is more important than ever. 
> 
> My stories are never based on reality, as such, but Something Borrowed was a story close to my heart. When I wrote it, I was three years into pining over my badass-single-dad-crush but knew nothing would ever happen between us. Now, he's side-eyeing me on the sofa trying to get a sneak-peek before I post. D, thank you for being the inspiration behind this story - every day I'm glad that like Donghun and Yuchan, we could have a happy ending. I'm in awe of you every day, for being an amazing artist, for being a brilliant dad to a beautiful little boy, and for being my best friend. Happy Christmas, goofball.
> 
> To you all - here's to a bright and brilliant 2021! See you soon for the conclusion of Neverland II.
> 
> With love and festive cheer,  
> The Indigo Dragonfly
> 
> [Find me on Twitter!](https://twitter.com/IndiDragonfly)


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